Photovoltaics

Each day the Earth receives enough energy from the Sun to power all of mankind’s needs for several years. Solar electric (Photovoltaic or PV) modules convert the energy received in light from the Sun into electricity. The sunlight causes electricity to flow through the crystalline silicon cells. Direct sunlight produces the most but power is produced even on overcast days.

In the UK, even in winter, our PV systems generate clean, renewable electricity. An Equinox Energy, low maintenance, long lasting solar electric system will provide clean electricity that you can use or sell back to your electricity supplier. In the UK a typical 16m², south facing 2.16 kWp1 PV system with a 30 degree pitch and little or no shading should produce more than 1,850 kWh's2 of clean electricity each year and save 980kg’s of CO2 emissions.

We can either retrofit to your existing building or work with your architect / builder to incorporate a PV system into a new build scheme.

We can supply and install bolt on, semi-integrated, flat roof / ground mounted, trackers, facades and PV glass-glass glazing systems to suit almost any situation. For off grid systems please visit our off grid page.

Both our domestic and commercial installations typically take less than a week. We work in an organised and methodical way and pre-prepare some items in our workshop before arriving on site. We can usually arrive to start your installation within 4 to 6 weeks of receiving your order.

If you would like a quotation for a PV system please contact us or go to our Would You Like a Quote page.

Why install PV?

Government sources indicate that in the UK the average family use 3,000 to 3,500 kWh’s of electricity each year. A 2.16kWp PV array would provide approximately half of this annual consumption and at 16m² this array is the typical size of system that we install in a domestic situation. Of course larger systems are possible if there is suitable available space – in Germany the typical domestic system is 4kWp.

About the products we typically select

Monocrystalline PV modules from BP Solar that have a number of significant technical advantages over the near competitors

• Actual power is always greater than nominal power so more kWh’s produced in the field
• High transmission ARC glass equals increased energy production
• Improved reliability and cooling with ‘IntegraBus’ technology
• One of the strongest frames in the industry
• BP Solar power warranty 93% after 12 years and 85% after 25 years

The inverter is probably the most important component in any solar electric system. We typically use German built inverters from SMA. The company was founded in 1981 and today is the world’s largest inverter manufacturer with more than 5,000 employees. Their inverters, which carry a 5 year warranty, are in service throughout the world and have proved totally robust and reliable.

We use mounting systems from Fischer Fixings which can withstand strong wind loads and high snowfall, they are TUV certified for safety and constructed from long life aluminium and A2 quality stainless steel.

Large Scale PV installations

These systems typically benefit from economies of scale and of course VAT is recoverable for most organisations. For large scale projects and / or new build developments we can further reduce costs in a number of ways, for instance by training your operatives to install the systems leaving us to test and commission them.

Grid Connect

At Equinox Energy we recommend that, wherever possible, all electrical renewable energy systems such as Photovoltaic systems (PV) or Wind Turbines are connected directly to the
national grid.

Grid connected systems link directly to the existing mains electricity supply via an inverter. The inverter converts the raw electricity generated by your renewable energy system into AC power precisely matched to the voltage and frequency of the grid.

The renewable electricity will be used first within the building - any excess power is automatically exported to the grid.

See our Clean Energy Cashback page for more information.

Solar electric houses, delivering free clean electricity for life, sell faster and at a premium. Research for the Energy Saving Trust shows that more than half of UK householders are willing to pay more for a ‘green’ home - even in the current market. This research reflects the position in Germany where the PV market is far more mature.

1. * A kilowatt peak (kWp) is a standard industry measure of the theoretical maximum output under standard test conditions.
2. 1 kilowatt hour (kWh) = 1 unit of electricity

MCS accredited installer NAP 12410

The discovery of the photovoltaic effect is generally attributed to Edmond Becquerel who wrote a paper in 1839 describing his experiments. In 1958 the US space satellite ‘Vanguard 1’ used PV cells to power a radio transmitter. Of course, the use of PV in spacecraft today is universal.